Tom’s Featured Tip:
Structuring Your Practice
For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties …. well, you know what to do!
When I’m not giving lessons or practicing myself, I like to observe the variety of swings that I see on the range.
When I see someone I know – not a student – often I ask what they are working on. Rarely are average players working on anything specific, most just bang drivers and throw in a few irons swings – when they get tired I suppose.
Good players, on the other hand, usually have a structured method to their practice.
Here is a structured sequence for a good practice session. Practice the grip and posture components at home until they are second nature, and the others at a practice facility:
- Don’t rush – quality is more important than quantity, although sufficient repetitions are required to reinforce and develop neural pathways.
- Concentrate – you develop the most enduring brain patterns for swing development when you are in a “deep practice” mode.
- Grip – actually practice getting your grip on the club, it should be as natural as shaking hands. Once you’ve got it, maintain it throughout your swing or stroke.
- Posture – practice setting up in good golf posture in front of a mirror. Check your angles viewed from the target back, as well as the “face on” view.
- Stepping into your stance – do this every time without variation:
- Get your grip
- Position your right foot
- Square your clubface to your aimline
- Position your left foot
- Make final foot position and weight distribution adjustments
- Stay loose
- Swing radius for the club you are using – take some slow motion practice swings just above the ground that define your radius and plane angles for the club in hand. Your radius should always feel the same, but your angles will feel different due to longer or shorter clubs.
- Slow motion stroke for swing mechanics – make slow motion swings actually striking the ground lightly where impact would occur. Play close attention to where your swing is bottoming out.
- Normal speed swings with emphasis on swing mechanics and compression – for full swings as well as putting strokes, make a few strokes or swings without a ball, then strike (or stroke) balls. For putting, try to feel good contact. For irons, pay attention to your divots and make sure that you are getting ball first and ground second strikes. Click – thud is what you should be hearing; if the click is muffled, shorten your swing until you are making perfect contact then lengthen it.
- Irons – normal speed swings with emphasis on accuracy. Target awareness is the goal here
- Putting – feel and lag drills, then short putts concentrating on a straight back and through stroke
I didn’t spell out pre shot routines, but you may find them here:
Pre-Shot Routines
Love your practice, enjoy your golf, own your swing,
Tom
Tom’s Bonus Tip:
A Little Humor – Top 10 Caddy Responses
For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties …. well, you know what to do!
I don’t normally include a lot of humorous stories or jokes in this neswletter, but a friend sent me this and I just had to share it – thanks Ken!
Ten Best Caddy Responses . .
- Number :10
Golfer: “I think I’m going to drown myself in the lake.”
Caddy: “Think you can keep your head down that long?” - Number : 9
Golfer: “I’d move heaven and earth to break 100 on this course.”
Caddy: “Try heaven, you’ve already moved most of the earth.” - Number : 8
Golfer: “Do you think my game is improving?”
Caddy: “Yes . . . . You miss the ball much closer now.” - Number : 7
Golfer: “Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron?”
Caddy: “Eventually.” - Number : 6
Golfer: “That can’t be my ball, it’s too old.”
Caddy: “It’s been a long time since we teed off, sir.” - Number : 5
Golfer: “Please stop checking your watch all the time. It’s too much of a distraction.”
Caddy: “It’s not a watch – it’s a compass.” - Number : 4
Golfer: “How do you like my game?”
Caddy: “It’s very good – but personally, I prefer golf.” - Number : 3
Golfer: “Do you think it’s a sin to play on Sunday?
Caddy: “The way you play, it’s a sin on any day.” - Number : 2
Golfer: “This is the worst course I’ve ever played on.”
Caddy: “This isn’t the golf course . . . . We left that an hour ago.” - And the Number : 1 . . . . Best Caddy Comment:
Golfer: “You’ve got to be the worst caddy in the world.”
Caddy: “I don’t think so . . . .That would be too much of a coincidence.”
Love your practice, enjoy your golf, own your swing,
Tom
